Love's Madness
by Khaleesi92
Summary: Tamina is more than just an little girl that the some royals took in. Much more. Only he didn't know at first glance that the masked thief he spotted once before was her, he should have though. Tiny thing as she was. No, the first time he knew that she was special was when he laid eyes on her wolf and walked away. That, however, was before he even realized she was his soul's mate.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, for those who don't know? I LOVE Sebastian Stan, okay? When I first saw him playing as Mad Hatter… I kinda fangirled. He is so awesome. Recently, I started to think… What if an OC is Grace's mother? And said OC is a Werewolf like Little Red Riding Hood? What if The OC was adopted and originally apart of Red's family? What if Robin Hood was a girl?**

 **This new story answers those questions and will answer more. I have added the Soulmate identification marks in there as well. Symbols, not names and they are complimentary. So people just don't match them up… you'll see. I promise. It is gonna be awesome. I am so excited for this. I really hope that you like it.**

 **I am going to title this: Love's Madness. But I may rename it somewhere along the line.**

 **Rated M for mature. Overall it will be mature themed but I also think that there will be times where it will be go through all of the ratings. It will depend on who provokes her. (The explicit version of things will be transferred to AO3.)**

 **Oh, yes: the werewolf OC? Her name is Tamina. Nicknames: Tami and Mina. She is Chole Bennet... with hazel eyes, okay?**

 **Main Pairings: Jefferson-Mad Hatter/OFC-Robyn Hood... later magicked into the white rabbit. Regina Mills/OMC. ...Every other pairing will pretty much stay the same... I will let you know if I want to change something about that. Or if you have any ideas, let me know - yeah?**

 **Now that we got all that covered,** _ **onward**_ **to chapter 1.**

* * *

 _The full moon hung high upon the dark sky with the invisible strings of the chessmaster, scattered diamonds dancing brightly to contribute to its light. It was a beauty that few appreciated here in the Enchanted Forest, where all were concerned more about finding their happy endings… rather than take note of the miracles that could be found in nature. Personally, he privately thought it rubbish… but the man called Jefferson would still lay awake in the quiet hours of first dawn's light, letting a pointer finger dance on the crescent moon and star conjoined symbol on the inside of his left wrist. Proof that he hadn't given up on love to anyone who would have noticed, even if it was solely for the fact that it was colored with style of a hundred galaxies. Proof laid before him that there was hope for love in his story; maybe not today or even tomorrow but somewhere out there… this Mate breathed the same air he was doing right now… that person most likely looked at the same sky he was. He wasn't alone in this life long search for happiness. He was someone's happy ending._

 _And that, above all else, made it easier to get out of bed each and every day. He was naught but a thief… however, in the moments he spent thinking about the one meant for him… Jefferson somehow felt like there was more. More to him than what even he initially saw when he looked in the mirror. Or maybe that was just wishful, naive thinking on his part._

 _Either way Jefferson found that before long, he grew to love looking up at the stars and moon alike. Jefferson had no clue what the connection was between them and his soulmate, but he felt… somehow connected to her through the sight of them. Like through watching them, away from the noise of the village that he called 'home', he could feel her very soul. Yearning for the same things he did. It was pure magic, he was sure._

 _He currently stood underneath a tall oak tree, whose leaves had started to release their way into Fall. Darkness cloaked him from view and it was quiet for the most part, save from the crickets he knew he wouldn't be able to track and the rustling, dead leaves underneath his boots. It was peaceful in a way that he couldn't compare anything to, and silenced the madness that fought to consume his brain. Funny, it was, as he would have thought the silence would make him more than just a bit twitchy._

 _He had no idea how long he stood there, minutes could have blended to hours and he still would not have minded much. Jefferson figured that it wasn't as long as it could have been predicted, the sky still dark even as the wind howled into his ears. He could imagine that now was about the time that people in the taverns finally stumbled out onto the cobblestoned roads. The wind howled again making Jefferson pull at his long leather jacket to conceal his tucked in, patterned shirt, vest and dark scarf that was tightly wrapped and knotted signaturely in the front. Something moved on his head at the motion before the right corner of Jefferson's lip twitched upwards into an almost smile before both of his hands reached up to fix the crooked top hat back into position._

 _He heard a howl again; this time sharper, louder and longer than before and as Jefferson took the time to once more look up at the taunting full moon? He became excruciatingly aware of the situation he was about to fix himself in. For somewhere within the shadows of his surroundings, Jefferson would bet highly that there was a wolf somewhere… heading in his general direction. And something hidden within him, perhaps the intuition that he tried and failed to follow… piped up then and told him he would win such a bet. A curse fell from his lips then and Jefferson swiftly turned to the oak tree and had begun to climb, the only thought going through his mind now… was that he needed to get off of the forest floor._

 _The madness danced swiftly into his brain through the panic, telling Jefferson that he was stupid for even being out here in the first place… to hold onto the only link he had to his soulmate, someone who probably didn't want him anyway. He told it to shut up as he scrambled up the tree, but knew once Jefferson rapidly heard another thought come to mind that he had been ignored. He was up the first two branches when his hat went topsy turvy from where it was perched on top of his head and Jefferson went to reach for it, only for it to fall almost soundlessly on the forest floor._

 _Jefferson cursed quietly and gazed around his immediate surroundings, lending an ear to the leaves that still rustled with movement. Carried upon the wind; what appeared to be a nickname caught his attention from the male voice that yelled it, seemingly uncaring who… or better yet, what… would hear him._

" _Tami!" It seemed to be a strange nickname to Jefferson and he knew strange, intimately. When the male voice yelled it again, the Hatter knew the sound of a man who was chasing after a woman… a daring woman at that. One that was full of life, mischief and danger. After all, how else would someone justify running amuck in the Enchanted Forest on a night like this?_

 _Finally, through the shadowy depths of the trees, parted a wolf whose fur was so white that Jefferson held no doubt that the twinkling stars above them were envious. He held his breath, only daring to breathe shallowly through his nose, as the wolf slowly moved forward… sniffing. And suddenly, Jefferson knew that the wolf was tracking him and no doubt would find him easily. Once again, he mentally and colorfully cursed. The closer it got though, he noticed that it's movements were more determined than threatening… for now anyway. He could tell just by the first moment he locked his dark brown eyes on her wider and hazel ones. It was still a wild animal though and he became aware that even though it wasn't aiming to kill anything now, it could turn that thought around just as quickly as it made it._

 _The wolf lifted its left paw slowly, in apparent indecision on where to go next, and with the help of the illuminating light from the sun; Jefferson noticed that the the wolf's paw was a metallic gray color. It was almost like the wolf stepped in pixie dust or something and shook away all the glitter that he knew it contained. It was strange but beautiful, in it's own way. The animal raised its head slowly and sniffed the air twice, before those huge hazel eyes locked on his hat that landed sideways. It moved forward quickly, almost… (dare he even think)… excitedly at the new discovery. While all Jefferson could do was shift on the branch nervously, hoping that he wasn't discovered and that the wolf didn't shred his hat. An action that he was pretty sure the wolf could do with only one paw. It sniffed the brim of the hat before sticking part its nose inside, as if the wolf somehow suspected the hat was more than just that: a hat. As if it was trying to peer within to see at least an entry into the worlds that were hidden within the darkened depths._

 _It raised it's paw and at that moment Jefferson knew that it was over, had shifted in his place haphazardly on the branch and tried not to whimper… even as he closed his eyes in dread. It was then though, instead of the unmistakable sound of something tearing, all he heard was rustling leaves again. Hesitantly, Jefferson slowly opened one of his eyes and peered downward… only to open the other one and blink rapidly at the sight before him. He watched as the animal that should have been destructive and rapid growl playfully at the hat before raising a paw again. This time, Jefferson watched with growing amusement as the pearl white wolf gently smacked around the hat. It reminded him of a cat that found a ball of yarn, amusing itself with the newfound toy that it had now acquired._

It's... _playing_ with it _. Jefferson thought numbly as his mind tried to process the sight with warring amusement and disbelief,_ the huge wolf… is _playing_ with my _hat. He could scarcely understand it, even when more rustling had come to reach his ears, ones that were from the wolf._ A hunter? _He questioned and had the strange urge to protect the wolf if it was. Here was an animal that could gut him like a fish, easily, and eat him for breakfast… and he wanted to protect it? He guessed that because it was an animal... It was just doing what instinct told._

" _Tami…" Someone spoke then, with the same voice from before, and had redirected Jefferson's attention to see a olive skinned man cautiously step forward. His eyes as dark as his hair, dressed in simple clothes and had on some durable boots to walk through the mud ridden parts of the forest with relative ease. Though they were not as stylish as Jefferson's, mind. In the man's hand was a long black jacket with what looked like a loose hood attached. Jefferson wondered why the man was holding it instead of wearing it but he supposed that the only other explanation was… He looked at the wolf that had now stopped playing with his hat, letting it roll into the darker parts of the night, and only came to one important realization._

 _Werewolf._

 _Though he never laid eyes on a werewolf, much less heard stories of one that acted so tame… so much like a overgrown puppy to be honest… Jefferson unceremoniously gulped in response._

 _The Werewolf slowly turned it's head in response to the noise that wasn't made by it, eyed the man and sharply growled predatorily in response. Jefferson knew that the wolf, whoever it was underneath that fur had to know he was up there in that tree. If it found the hat, it could have easily found him as well… but instead it chose not to draw attention to him._

" _Now, now. Don't be like that Tamina." The man tried to pacify the wolf, his tone going soothingly in a way that Jefferson hadn't heard before in regard to Werewolves._ Maybe they are 'family'? _He fleetingly thought as he watched the two of them on the forest floor, and the Hatter still wasn't sure if this was a dream or not. It felt like one. Something so impossible... yet oh so fascinating to him, made him not even twitch as his dark gaze bounced between the wild canine and the human._

 _The man held his unoccupied hand up in the universal movement of surrender before he walked cautiously forward, "I know that you have some control, Tami. Hear me? It's me, Nikolas." He uttered calmly even though there was an underlining element of fear that the man couldn't hide and when he was close enough, the man name Nikolas threw the cloak over the wolf. It was more like a blanket than anything else but as Jefferson quietly observed the silver wolf pinned on the thick material, that some more pieces fell into place._

 _Jefferson noted that underneath it, the body of the wolf became so much smaller and bones shifted with cringe worthy noises. However, it wasn't long before a slender, olive skinned hand was able to grasp for Nikolas's outstretched one. He watched in silent awe, blending into the darkness and thin cover of the leaves around him, that Nikolas regarded the woman with a gentle glint sparkling in his eyes._

" _Did I… hurt anyone?" The woman named Tamina questioned and Jefferson didn't need to see her face to know that the worry in her tone was reflecting outward. He wanted to see her face though; to be able to put a face to a name and the wolf… or at least, that is what he kept telling himself._

" _No." Nikolas reassured calmly, eyeing her face with something that had latched onto his. "You didn't. But I reckon that I have been chasing you non-stop for hours now. You are too playful, even in this form, for your own good. What if... hunters crossed your path? What if they tracked your paw prints again? ...Tam. It is unsafe-"_

" _It always will be." She uttered loftily, and the undertone of Tamina's tone of voice was more perturbed than worried now that she knew that she hadn't killed anyone. Jefferson could only imagine what it was like. To lose your outward appearance, bones shifting painfully and losing yourself completely to the animal caged within. He wondered about the amount of blood she had on her hands._

 _She started walked away from him then, hips moving tantalizingly with each one of her movements and from where he was, Jefferson saw Nikolas eyeing his beloved hat. The man slowly went forward and picked it up to analyze it with a growing smirk. "I wonder…" He uttered softly, yet still in the near silence it seemed like he screamed it, "just who you are and how close you actually were to her…" Nikolas eyed his surroundings once more, quiet in an attempt to pick up even the slightest movement of the hat's owner, before Tamina paused and turned to look at him just before she stepped into the darker shadows._

" _Are you coming or what, Nik? I am grateful that you brought the cloak but I would like to go to bed before the sun comes up, if that is doable." She watched as he nodded, Jefferson watching as she tilted her head as Nikolas turned his back to her and gently threw the hat down. For he knew that the owner would want to retrieve it sometime, in fact by the smirk curving on Nikolas's lips, he was actually counting on it._

" _Yup." He popped the 'P' sarcastically, smiled sharply before walking towards the woman, "Always, little 'sister'. Remember?"_

 _The two of them walked deeper into the forest when he finally reached her, side by side, when Tamina finally relaxed and began to argue that she was only a year younger than him. Jefferson waited until he couldn't hear movement upon dead leaves to count slowly to fifty. When he reached it, the man slowly climbed down the tree and went to pick up the hat that miraculously survived._

 _Jefferson thought about the wolf pin once more, and wondered if it was indeed silver at all. Silver and Werewolves don't mix, or at least that was what he personally knew of. Maybe it was white gold, instead. Nevertheless, he knew it on sight and what it stood for. He had never spoken to her, heard her voice and there was only one occurence when he laid eyes on her. She usually done well to not get caught, but he recognized a thief when he saw one._

 _Who would have known that underneath the alias of 'Robyn Hood'... there was a woman behind that blank wolf mask? Something in him awoke upon this night, a craving to find out more about the mystery she presented. And even if he didn't understand it, after all it could have been the fact that he was so close to death and survived that actually sparked this twisted fascination of his… Jefferson knew that he would crave to know more until the moment he died._

 _Even if the wolf who was Tamina would be the one to do it._

* * *

Jefferson rose upright from his bed with a gasp falling from his lips. His eyes were closed as his body quaked with the memory of what was. He needed _her_ … he needed _them_. But it was in this house, locked from his loved ones, that his own curse lied. He knew that when he opened his eyes, he would still be there… _here_. Jefferson almost didn't want to, he didn't want to go through anymore of it, this pain of remembering and not having a opportunity to do something about it. He fought it; for his Mina and their little Gracie.

Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and saw that the recurring nightmare hadn't come to an end. Jefferson almost wailed in loneliness, and while he kept back the outcry… he couldn't hold back the tears stinging in his eyes. He had to try the door, just like Jefferson tried _every. single. day_ that had passed him by. One morning bled into another; watching from afar as Grace was happy with a family that was not her own, how Tamina was with her adopted brother more often than not to keep her own loneliness at bay. He could tell from her movements that she suspected something was missing, though she had yet to figure out what.

He watched them both, taking turns through two different telescopes. Watching as the both of them shifted unknowingly into the wolves they truly were every full moon, running side by side through the woods around his house with Red… comforting gestures between mother and daughter like they somehow _knew_ … before shifting to human and going back to being unaware of each other. It was heartbreaking to watch. To feel angry at how the family that Grace called as blood knew not what was going on with her… they didn't even suspect anything amist. They didn't come to check on her at night, making sure that she was asleep. It was only when they found her sleeping outside did they question and even then, they tried to put her on sleeping medications. They put child gates up. They did everything _except_ checking in on her at night. He had thought Tamina had died somehow, for she disappeared in their world and he couldn't find her in any other. The only good thing that may have been of this curse, is that she was here with them now. How he wished he could hold either of them… Jefferson would have made a deal for a minute, if he hadn't realized that a mere minute would never be enough. He just… he _wished_ for peace from all the madness plaguing his brain.

He sighed heavily in exasperation, before he pulled himself fully out of bed. The clock beside him read that it was only eight in the morning, which would have made Grace at school by now and Mina going to Granny's to get her coffee. He lazily walked out of the room and down the hallway; humorous how the house served to be only a huge maze to him at first. Now, he truly was the rat that moved through it with ease until he came to stand in front of the door that Jefferson knew with certainty wouldn't open for him. Every morning he tried and every morning he failed… but if he gave up on it, Jefferson knew that he would truly lose his mind. The hope that the next day would be the day he would finally open it and breath in fresh air was truly what got him out of bed in the morning.

His hand closed around the door knob tightly, and still Jefferson hesitated to turn. He was conflicted, immobile to the action that he desperately wanted the result of… and it seemed that his sanity was only held together by a thread. He didn't want to lose hope, not when he fought to hold onto it for so long. But when Jefferson finally forced himself to twist, the sound of wood scraping met his ears, making him freeze where he stood. Heart pounding in his chest, Jefferson eagerly pulled with all his strength and finally - _finally_ after _years_ of being sealed within this house that he now hated - the door... finally opened.

He cautiously stepped forward, over the threshold that confined him and greedily breathed in the fresh air that encased him. Jefferson stood in the massive driveway in his long pajama bottoms, in awe and praying with everything in him that this wasn't a dream… before he pinched his forearm hard enough to bruise. Pain answered him immediately and Jefferson laughed then, gleefully and high. The sound echoing high above the trees around the property; he didn't have one care to anyone that may have heard him and thought him mad.

After all, they would certainly be right.

But for now, Jefferson made to go back into the house and get dressed in his finest clothes, a wide and almost demented smile curving upon his lips. He could at least talk with one of his girls today and come hell or high water, Jefferson was going to make Mina love him once more. And if anyone wanted to stand in his way? Well... there was a reason he kept his special, silver scissors so sharpened. If they weren't handy he had many knives available. Jefferson was sure he would have relatively no problem running the majority of the townsfolk through if they stood in the way of him getting to his family.

* * *

 _He made plans to go back into the woods, to find her once more even if it was in wolf form. Jefferson didn't understand why he was obsessed with the woman… only that he was. He told himself that it was fascinating, she was fascinating, to watch in her wolf form. He knew that she only acted like that because she wasn't threatened… and then he remembered the growl she gave her 'brother' when he spoke. Tamina was her name, he remembered. Every detail he could have engraved into his mind from what little he observed that night had been._

 _Jefferson walked the down the cobblestone streets of the village lost in thought until something caught his attention on the one roof tops. There was a figure that stood as still as a statue, as if it was always there on the roof trestles; with a suspiciously familiar long and dark cloak that didn't do anything to hide the large curves of her chest, a hood up to cover the person's hair and a blank mask with the outward curved nose and ears of a wolf... of which covered the entire face. It was obviously spelled so the person could see through it but no one could identify the person underneath. The arch of a bow clutched tightly in an slender olive skinned hand._

 _He quickly moved backward in light feet to stand totally covered in the shadows, watching quietly as_ she _took a pouch of what was sure to be filled with gold and tied it in the middle of the stick that she wrapped tightly to an arrowhead. With perfect form as she pulled the arrow back until her thumb touched her lip, Robyn Hood released the arrow with the speed of a hungry serpent. It wasn't long before she straightened her posture up to that of a soldier, switched the bow to her left hand and raised her right in a proper salute to show respect. He gathered from where she was positioned that Tamina just gave the church - the kind-hearted Priest Friar Tuck - the money that she no doubt stole._

 _And after that salute, she turned and fled from the rooftops… and as Jefferson quickly moved to follow, he knew this wouldn't be the first time he chased after this woman._

The door to Granny's jingled as it opened, making Jefferson lift his head from the steaming cup of tee he had ordered while he waited. It was magic all over again even though this world didn't have any, locking eyes with his Mina. She seemed out of breath and exhausted, all at the same time. With her long and gorgeous dark brown locks pulled back into a messy bun. Some pieces escaped from its confines to lay naturally curled at the sides of her face; so much beauty she was, wrapped in a five foot three inch of everything but delicate things. Only few knew who the woman that was born with the name Tamina Luca truly was, as anything other than the prankster and thief that she had wanted all to see.

She moved forward into the cafe in faded black jeans, black heels and a dark gray t-shirt with a graphically drawn gray and purple cat perched within a soft brown tree. It's eyes wide and golden, the slit within small and black. Insane, just alike the stretched grin on it's lips that was made up of only sharp teeth. " _We're all a little mad here._ " was written clearly and in cursive. He smiled brightly at the shirt, but Jefferson couldn't help but raise an amused eyebrow at it. When she turned away to walk close to the counter, he caught sight of the white printed message of ' _Down The Rabbit Hole'_ before his eyes strayed to the symbol he knew would be behind her left ear.

It was his precious hat, outlined in black behind her ear as a soul mark but filled for the most part with the galaxy design as his own mark. Within the small hat symbol, Jefferson could see that within it was his full moon and star mark, unfilled and too outlined in black to separate the two designs. It was as if when her mark appeared, someone cookie cutted his mark out of hers. It was beautiful, even now.

"Coffee?" Granny… who was actually and ironically her Grandmother… asked swiftly after taking one good look at her. The bags underneath Tamina's eyes were hard to miss, and it was clear to anyone who just glanced her way that she had a rough night… even with the cover up that she used to try and hide it. The younger woman hissed out a yes, long and appreciative at the mere idea of coffee, and when Granny offered her a To-Go cup full of the hot liquid that Jefferson saw her to swiftly become protective of… Tamina wasted no time at all with adding in some sugar and taking a sip of the black liquid.

Red gave a shiver in response, "I don't know how you do that, Mae. I need at least milk and a shit ton of sugar in my coffee just to make it taste good." Granny gave her a glare at her language that had the young woman rolling her eyes before she was shooed off to wait on tables with a pout on her lips.

"Do you know what made that old clock tower start to tick this morning?" Tamina - no, was it Mae in this world? - asked Granny in confusion, only for the woman to tell her she had no idea. Instead of asking more, Tamina smiled softly in understanding as she offered up three dollars. "Oh the _mysteries_ in life… Keep the change." She nodded at the other woman gently and hopped off of the stool to leave. Quickly, Hatter threw down five dollars on the table, uncaring that it was a large tip in comparison to what he ordered, grabbed his top hat and ran after her.

He reckoned that he would strike up a conversation about her shirt first, ask questions about it to slowly start to reintroduce himself into her life. Anything… anything _at all_ … to get her to start talking to him.

He knew he was desperate.

But after so long of being alone, of being disconnected by everything that he cared about, Jefferson _didn't_... _fucking_... _care_.

* * *

 **So… how do you like it so far? :) I am excited for this so much. By the way, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! More than 4,000 words! Yay!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am really happy with how well you guys are taking this story so far. Yes, the reviews are small in number but the favorites and follows are so very high for just the first uploaded chapter. I love this idea so much and I am warm with the feeling that you guys like it as well. Grant it, I usually DON'T upload more than five hundred words on the first chapter of a story because I feel the need to ease you guys into the idea or whatever… but I love the reactions I got from everyone. Let's see if we can keep it up, yeah?**

* * *

 _Tamina smiled cheekily underneath her plain white mask at Friar, even though her old friend couldn't have known that it was there at all. The she-wolf knew that he would use the gold wisely and help those that he could, this she held no doubt of. Silently, she reminiscenced of the first time she met the gentle priest that now helped the poor get what they needed to survive… how it all started with him offering (stupidly in her opinion and that opinion had yet to change) a helping hand after a fateful full moon that left her wounded. Of how much he desperately tried to help that little boy with the name of John get better from the sickness that plagued him. People were dying left and right within these streets; someone, somewhere, took their last breath. The hungry plagued the streets, begging for food with shaking hands… and the worst part was? The rich, the very people that took her in when Tamina was a mere abandoned baby, didn't care about their own people. Tamina was sure, even to this day, that they only took her in as their own to uplift their image. Nothing more._

 _It was why she had no problem playing nice to their faces and stealing their gold when their back was turned. They didn't care about anyone other than the sparkling glints on the gold and priceless gems. She wasn't about to start acting like she was one of them, Tamina knew she would achieve such a thing when a day came to pass when sheep got along with a wolf… or when the wolf wouldn't attempt to eat the sheep. Never going to happen. It was natural after all, mixed within the blood that made them who they were. Even as a child, Tamina was aware of the people on the streets… struggling to live. She had complained to Nikolas, whom was her brother in all but blood, the injustice of it. He reckoned that she would be a good ruler, given the chance. The thing was that Tamina didn't want to rule, she just wanted things to be different... for everyone. She wouldn't get that wish though, Tamina knew. Her 'parents' didn't know that she was born with the Werewolf gene and they didn't know that it was she behind the 'Robyn Hood' mask. Not that she would ever tell them. Even as a child something within her pushed for sheer survival, especially when her heard talk of her 'father' employing more hunters into the ranks..._

 _She quickly touched the mark that was etched behind her left ear as Tamina darted across the rooftops. What kind a joke was it - a Werewolf, someone that transformed into a rabid animal every full moon, worthy of a soulmate? She still didn't understand it, couldn't make her brain compute as to why. Tamina had blood on her hands of the Hunters who turned out to be little more than Prey. Some would argue self defense, though the voice of many would deem it as murder._

 _She only wanted to make the most of this life, while she still could live it._

 _She didn't see the arrow until it was too late; its head embedded into her cloaked forearm and the feathers sticking out at the end of the shaft was a soft blue. One of the hunters got a lucky shot and while her life essence started to leak from the wound; Tamina fell from the rooftops and landed roughly on cobblestone… she quickly started to get woozy._

 _The tip of the arrowhead had a small trace of Wolfsbane._

How did they know? _She frantically thought, and through her muddled brain no answer had yet come. It could have been a coincidence, for the arrow didn't have the amount needed to take her down... But within her, her wolf flared with pain. Awareness set in then, they wanted to capture her alive. Either way, the High Killer - sorry, what she actually meant to say was the 'High King'..._ not _\- had to have at least suspected something. Why else would he put so much stock into enabling the best hunters he could find?_

 _Sick and near broken, Tamina would have wanted to lay claim that she was startled when two hands grabbed her and drug her away quickly. She wasn't, however. In fact the only thought that forced its way through the numb that was swiftly shrouding her was that: '_ Nikolas is going to be pissed. _'_

From the moment Mae Porter opened her eyes this morning and saw that she lay outside, the forest surrounding her the day's bright light indicating that today wasn't starting off well _. Much less ending on a pleasant note_ , or so Mae fleetingly predicted. Already the dream that she had just woken up from lingered on the edges of her conscience and it seemed as hard as she tried to chase the details, they invaded her before disappearing altogether. Birds dipped and dived from above her head, their whimsical symphony reaching her ears. Probably the only good part about her sleepwalking was that she didn't go far, as Mae always ended up in the woods surrounding her cozy home. There was always something about the woods that appealed to her, in ways that Mae couldn't possibly form into words for an explanation. It wasn't the spacious kind but it surely wasn't small either; to this day Mae claimed it was 'just right'.

" _No. It is so_ you." Mae could almost hear her brother Nathan tease her yet again, those five words a barely there warning before he messed up her hair and called her out on her shorter stature. It wasn't _her fault_ that he was a _giant_ , damn it. It always annoyed her… which he knew and it fueled him to do it more. How typical of him. She mentally scoffed before pulling herself up slowly, wincing every now and then. It felt like every single bone in her body hurt and Mae wondered if she should see a doctor for it. Then again, as soon as someone other than Nathan found out that she sleepwalked… no, Mae refused to be on medication. As if something was wrong with her. Contrary to belief, there _wasn't_. Even when a part of her sounded, maybe her conscience, that things weren't quite _normal_. With this whole town, with how a small dosage of medication fucked up her system… hell, with her in general. Then again, the _mere idea_ of _normalcy_ is the very thing that gave Mae hives.

Mae released a groan from her lips as she sluggishly walked down the small pathway to her front door; when she reached it, the unknown she-wolf cautiously opened it to take an assessment of her sore muscles. She would be fine overall but Mae could still feel a phantom squeezing at her joints. It was kind of like how she felt when she worked out for too long; feeling her body ache from head to toe… lingering for days to come. _I'll be fine._ She mentally encouraged herself as she shut the door behind her as the woman quickly made to go rid herself of the spotted pajamas that she wore to bed, all the while just pretty damn thankful that she didn't ever sleep naked.

 _Yup… it was starting to look like another day in paradise._

* * *

After she dressed and brushed her hair - picking out all the twigs and pine needles that somehow became nestled in her locks - Mae sped down the stairs as quickly as she could; thankful once more to the weird grace that she somehow gained in life. She looked at the old grandfather clock that annoyingly ticked too loudly for her ears and cussed colorfully when Mae realized that she would be late if she didn't get a move on. _...Again._ With a groan leaving her lips, Mae made sure she grabbed her phone and her keys before rushing out the door. Barely taking the time to lock it before running down the driveway, she had one primary thought in mind: _Granny's_.

Though that thought was followed with the impulse for coffee and thinking herself stupid for not bothering to get a car. Really, what possessed her to decide against it and get more 'exercise'? _I am going to run myself ragged like this._ Mae thought tiredly but continued onward, mindful of how her boots made noises on the highway that seemed to echo in her ears. As she moved, Mae could feel her hips move with her and was thankful that no one seemed to be around her at the moment. She really hated the attention that her walk gave her… but then again, Leroy found humor in how she would break someone's nose for trying to touch her in some way, shape or form. As always, Mae was thankful for this silver lining even if it was only because she offered amusement to her favorite _munchkinlander_ … though Mae would never call him that to his face.

Finally, Mae laid her eyes on the all too familiar gate that bordered Granny's and smiled at the promise of coffee. Pausing halfway to the gate, she nervously dug into the pockets of her faded jeans and exhaled a dramatic breath of relief when her olive skinned hand pulled out three crumbled dollar bills. Mae gratefully brought her eyes upward and silently mouthed the two words, ' _Thank you_!' to whoever was listening. She followed the daily impulse to look at the clock tower in the center of the town square and blinked it surprise when it… moved? _What miracle worker magic is this?_ Mae thought to herself with shock flooding her system before shaking herself in an effort to move on.

After she bounced up the stairs with energetic and almost childish glee, Mae paused to compose herself before she grabbed the door knob and twisted. A jingle alerted the inhabitants of her presence, something that happened for as long as she could remember, but today felt… different somehow. It made the hair stand up on the back of her neck, as if something in her tried to warn her without words what was to come. _To be on guard_ , Mae tried to translate, all the while trying not to think on how much she thought that with an almost pirate element attached to it. _I hope that my inner geek isn't showing._ Especially when she didn't have to scan her new surrounding hard enough to see a… _really_ handsome guy sitting at a table by himself and facing the door, Q&A? Her. She would have blushed at the thought, knowing that her hair had to be still messy from waking up _outside_ and all. He was cute though, in a guy next door with… clothes that were a little old fashioned, topped off with the dark top hat that rested on the table beside him. The clothes fit him well from what she could see; a dark gray vest that was decorated with black swirls was over a long sleeved shirt that had the same murky gray as the vest… just with a different pattern. Around his neck was a scarf that was wrapped tightly around his neck, little bits of it was defying the laws of gravity until it was tucked into the front of his vest. Underneath the table, she could see the black slacks that he wore that tied to the dark stitches in his vest and Italian made, black shoes on his feet. He had dark brown hair that was straight at the sides but became tossed and wild at the top of his head. Overall, he looked… interesting to her. Besides, not many could put one pattern on top of another and actually pull it off.

Funny thing though was they didn't get a lot of visitors here in Storybrooke, even if Mae still wondered whose idea was it to name that anyway. She guessed that since they were along a highway that people just built another way to get around without passing through it. It still didn't explain why she really didn't retain any memories of her as a child, though knew her name and her family. Doctors said it was normal, and even though something told her there was more to it Mae decided to just go with it. There were doubts though, after all survey after survey claimed that she wasn't the only one in town that had this problem. _Coincidence_? Mae Porter really didn't put too much thought in those kinds of things.

Anyway, the mystery guy's dark eyes heated her as Mae abruptly turned her attention to where Granny and Ruby were behind the counter; the second woman's short attire concealed from where she stood. _Oh, to be young and rebelling._ Mae thought to herself with growing amusement, then again she wasn't any better. Sure she was older than Ruby by about a year despite her height when compared to the taller female, but that didn't mean that Mae wasn't in the same boat as the skimpy dressed waitress was. The only few differences between the two of them were that A.) Mae didn't have a grandmother to dictate her every move… that she knew of, anyway. B.) Ruby was the only one that wore short, body hugging clothes. And C.) At the very first chance, Mae moved the hell out from her parent's house and got her own place… also somewhere along the line ' _forgetting_ ' to give them the address. _Oops_. Mae thought it humorous though that both Ruby and herself had comparable things going on with them, aside from the fact that they both felt a sort of… kinship with the other. Almost to be identified as family, though they were _sure_ they weren't. _…Maybe_.

Granny was known to give Ruby such a rough time because the waitress stayed out late and had fun. She had a life outside of the waitressing that she did everyday and privately Mae couldn't understand why Granny was so hard on her granddaughter. _Seriously, just let the girl live._ More than once, Mae thought to ask Ruby how she would feel about working with her at the Rabbit Hole – bartending alongside her – and say it loud enough so the girl's grandmother would hear. It would be funny, Mae had no doubt, but she still hadn't asked. She was sure that she would though… eventually. In the meantime though, Granny took one good long look at her that turned from that of concern to knowingly… and Mae wondered once more just how she looked to the outside world. She didn't stop herself from hissing out a _yes_ that was damn near Parseltongue when asked if she wanted some coffee, though Mae thought the question was meant to be polite. After all, she did this as a routine for _years_ now that Mae was pretty sure that half of her monthly income was spent solely on the coffee made each morning by the workers of ' _Granny's bed and breakfast_ '.

She watched as Granny, whose real name Mae fleetingly thought she should really learn, awesomely put the life giving hot liquid in a To-Go cup for her and placed both that and the sugar in front of her. With brightening eyes, Mae climbed onto a stool and quickly added some sugar before taking a sip. _Not bad_ , she thought as her taste buds were assaulted by the smooth, dark liquid just as the caffeine sparked her with growing awareness.

Ruby gave a visible shiver in response to her, watching with those green eyes that shone with half veiled disgust. "I don't know how you do that, Mae. I need at least milk and a _shit ton_ of sugar in my coffee just to make it taste good." Granny gave her a glare at her language that had the young woman rolling her eyes before she was shooed off to wait on tables with a pout on her lips. While the attention wasn't on her anymore, Mae gave off her own shiver of disgust at just thought of drinking or eating something loaded with sugar. She guessed that she grew up that way, because every birthday that she could recall, Mae remembered scrapping off the too sweet icing to eat the actually cake hidden underneath.

She composed herself quickly, just a mere second before Granny looked back at her, and tilted her head slightly to the left in confusion. "Do you know what made that old clock tower start to tick this morning?" _And where can I find the person that fixed that old thing?_ The older woman shook her head back and forth, quietly uttering that she had no idea what happened to kick start the clock into… well, _gear_. All Mae could do was smile and offer up the three dollars that she tried fruitlessly to straighten out, "Oh the _mysteries_ in life…" Mae offered up with a teasing edge to her words before telling the woman to keep the little change that would be left over. She nodded for the woman to have a good day before grabbing her coffee and hopped off the stool. Glancing at the clock that hung on the wall, Mae saw that she had enough time to get there before she would normally have to think up some excuse. Dashing out the door, the bell above the door once more cheerfully chimed in her ears as Mae took a deep breath of the fresh air around her and smiled. _High ho! High ho! To the Rabbit Hole, I go._ Mae smiled at the thought as she started to walk once again… then secretly called herself a _dork_ and placed any and all shame on the Disney cartoon that she impulsively watched last night. _Really Mae, no wonder you're not in a relationship._ She half scoffed, half sighed at herself before stopping on the street corner to look both ways cautiously.

"Hey!" A man's voice reached her ears suddenly, making Mae instinctually turn her body to look behind her… only to see the new guy in town darting towards her. Impulse told her to bolt as Mae swiftly looked around to make sure that _yes, he_ was _talking_ to _her_ and as he started to come closer, it was the earnest look in his eyes that made her not dart away into the opposite direction. _Besides… I am pretty sure that even if he doesn't catch me, he will find me one way or another. Being in the same town and all._

"…Yeah?" Mae questioned awkwardly after a moment passed when he reached her, struggling not to shift from foot to foot at being so close to him. Something locked within her perked up at being so close to him – a _stranger_ , _damn it_! Mae _focus_! - and she once more thought herself to be going insane. There wasn't anything wrong with him at first glance, mind you. He just seemed like… well, a newcomer that didn't know what to do with himself in his new surroundings. That she could somewhat understand – not really though because she only remembered Storybrooke… but still – it was the fact that she felt so calm in his presence that actually startled her. Where she stood in front of him, part of her was strangely okay with it and the other felt like because of her size, he was too imposing standing in front of her. Even though Mae also understood that for a guy he had a lean body. Irrational? Maybe.

"I'm sorry to bother you." He apologized right off the bat for startling her, as if he expected this. Maybe he had. His voice was softer now that he wasn't yelling to get her attention and both of Mae's hands gripped her precious To Go cup as it washed over her. It was… pleasant, to say the least. _Dear God, what is wrong with me?_ He continued on, though he seemed to struggle for the words."I'm… _new_ in town… _obviously_." He chuckled nervously and reached his right hand, the one not holding his hat, up to scratch his pointer finger on his cheek just as both side corners of Mae's lips twitched upwards. "And… I couldn't help but notice your shirt?" He voiced it as a question, as if he didn't know if his curiosity about her shirt was enough to stop her.

Now Mae actually smiled at him, privately thinking the way that he stumbled over his words a little bit was actually cute. It wasn't every day that someone was actually shy to talk to her, after all. And even if the fact was that he was hesitant to reveal to her why he stopped her, Mae could understand. After all, she worked hard on the designs to make them… err, one of a kind. Kind of, as there were many sold at work. Not that she wanted to actually tell him that she designed them. All in all though? Mae was just happy that he had an eye to see the details on the shirt, not just an excuse to stare at her chest. Heaven knew she got that way too often at work and it was nice to find someone that appeared to be different. "It's where I work. _'The Rabbit Hole'_. Think of it as a classy bar where all the magic happens that, in turn, brings any kind of fun to this boring town." Her voice held a teasing edge to it that she was sure that he picked up on, and really Mae… may or may not have been trying to entice him to check it out so she could have an excuse to tell her boss on why she was going to probably be late.

"I find _that_ hard to believe." He scoffed teasingly in response to her tone, his eyes glinting in something that Mae couldn't name. " _You're_ fun… from what I see so far. That _must_ count for something." It seemed that he corrected himself after a moment, not wanting to come off a presumptuous of knowing her when they hadn't met before… but he was right though. She was fun, if Mae said so herself. Which, by the way, she did.

She threw her head back and laughed, gleefully. In a way that Mae could say that she couldn't compare to anything else… and it was almost sad that in just a few minutes in this guy's presence made her laugh in a way that she hadn't before. When she got herself under control, Mae looked back at him to see that she was being regarded with an expression of awe… and she promptly blushed. She felt the blood tingling underneath her cheeks and it only served to darken the rising color that dusted across her nose. "You'd be right, I guess."

"My name is Jefferson." He finally thought to introduce himself, offering a hand out for her to shake and the soft smile that he had on his lips curved with increasing mischief. As Mae straightened her posture and slowly placed her hand in his, an instinct chimed that this was just the beginning of something awesome. As she stared at his mischievous smile, she felt it's natural reflection curve on her own lips.

"It's nice to meet you Jefferson. I'm Mae. Mae Porter." She didn't care at the moment that she actually just twisted a James Bond quote for this situation, even though a large part of her hoped that he didn't notice. Luckily, for her, his facial expression hadn't changed. The slip up completely went over his head.

"May I…" He paused and took the time to shake his head with that smile never diminishing, "You must get a lot of jokes about your name, huh? Okay Mae, _may_ I come with you to The Rabbit Hole? See what all this _magical fun_ is that you speak of?" He bypassed the stumbling joke of her name with more ease than many people in town did, and that alone earned him a little bit more respect from her. Call her crazy but even though she would always appreciate the jokes here and there, sometimes she just wanted to sit down and have an intellectual conversation with them... which would ideally end in both of them confessing their love for fireworks and mischief.

 _Now how can I even try to say no to that?_ Really, there was just something about him that was starting to have an effect on her and Mae didn't know if it was a good thing or bad thing. Either way, it looked like she unknowingly got on a roller coaster that promised one hell of a ride, him seated next to her with that mischievous grin and hat. After a moment of silent contemplation as she looked at him, Mae smiled gently at him even though her hand was still in his warmer one. "I'd like that, Jefferson."

He seemed to straighten up then, his smile decreasing to a kinder one and as he did so, he let go of her hand. Mae pulled her hand back, marveling silently at how it tingled in a way it hadn't beforehand. He bowed deeply at the waist to her, as if she was a Queen or something that deserved the highest respect there could be and Mae laughed lightly at his posh accent when he requested for her to lead the way. Which she did, aware of his eyes tracking every move she made that strangely… didn't make her feel strange. How odd. What was even more so, was the skin at the back of her left ear itched the entire way to The Rabbit Hole.

* * *

 _Jefferson's heart felt like it jumped into his throat as his eyes tracked where she fell. The King's forces circled around her like hunters and oddly enough, something in him felt that no other words would fit. He didn't know what it was about Robyn Hood that made him so curious of the person, wanted to understand. It was more than the manly instinct that was surging within him, the one that urged him to protect the cloaked figure that he was pretty sure was a woman. Whatever he felt though, it didn't stop him from letting out a soft curse as he wrapped his arms around her as she edged between consciousness and not. As he dragged her away as swiftly as he could, her weight was lighter than he expected but Jefferson understood that it was also what made her so swift. Their surroundings only offered to them what a maze would do to a mouse and Jefferson paused at the edge of visibility just as the Hunters regrouped around the corner of the building. He only stopped to hear the leader ask them all to report before he silently rolled his eyes at their stupidity before dragging the small woman in the opposite direction. After all, the leader's question wasn't a valid one; if someone found her… didn't it make sense that she would have been with them? If he were them, Jefferson would have taken to the roof tops to… broaden the scope, so to say. Nevertheless, Jefferson found himself thankful that the hunters were more brawn than brain; it made it much easy for him._

 _It took him no time at all it seemed, to get her into his house and swiftly lock the door, putting her bow and quiver of arrows beside it. He pulled closed the curtains before he finally gave into the temptation to lay his eyes on her form though, lying immobile on his bed in her famous cloak and mask. He grabbed a bowl of water and a white rag quickly but it seemed the hesitation only set in when Jefferson realize that he needed to see the wound._ X marked the spot, _The portal jumper thought with irony after he winced in her steed when he pulled out the arrow. He set it on the floor swiftly before pausing in thought. He also didn't really want to invade her privacy or her wake up and think that he had. This was a whole new territory for him to be confronted with and it made him even more nervous. Robyn Hood, despite all the good that she was doing… whoever she was behind that mask, never had been known to miss. She wasn't bloodthirsty from what rumors could say but Jefferson also didn't want to die due to a misunderstanding. He also didn't want her to die either, for reasons that he didn't know of._

 _So he took a chance, gently pulling up the long sleeve that covered her wounded arm to see the damage inflicted upon her, wiping the wet cloth gently over it and not really caring for the cloth that would soon turn red with her blood. He gently wrapped it to the best of his ability when he deemed it clean and backed up to give her room in case she sprung with life any second now. Minutes passed though and_ still _she stayed. Hesitantly he moved forward, hands shaking a little bit as he pulled them towards her and back as if on invisible strings, undecided it seemed. Finally resolving himself, Jefferson gently let his fingers grab hold of the edge of her mask and pulled upward to reveal what was underneath. He almost gasped in surprise at her facial features, beautiful and flawless as it was. And as he freed the mask from vision, he watched for what seemed like minutes yet when her eyelids flickered sharply open and Jefferson had to redirect his gaze, he saw from the lack of light that shone through the curtains that hours had passed. As soon as she took note of how he stared at her shocked that she was actually awake, Robyn Hood rolled off of the bed and darted quickly to where her bow and arrows were. He took one large step back and his hands were up in surrender, until he noticed that he still had her mask in hand before throwing the object on the bed. His hands were up once more before she even turned both her attention and the tightened arrow in his direction._

 _He couldn't really blame her for her reaction, waking up in an unknown room with a stranger after blacking out. She didn't know him and he didn't know her aside from her reputation. Her last memory that she had before this was being hunted, he only hoped that she gave him a chance to try and defend himself. Jefferson was not in the least bit ashamed that he was weary of her, the way that Robyn's face was set in an emotionless expression… the tension in her bow shaking with anticipation to release the chosen arrow. "…Please-"_

" _Who are you?" Robyn asked of him swiftly after she cut him off, her tone of voice was one that easily clued him in on how impatient she was quickly becoming._

" _Jefferson. Portal Jumper… and also happen to be the man that saved your life." He uttered an introduction carefully, his gaze flickering from her face to her arrow in hand and back again. For the life of him, Jefferson couldn't understand why her voice seemed to resonate with him on some kind of level. He could have sworn that he heard her speak before… maybe somewhere in town? "You were hunted by the King's men just hours ago, you took an arrow – ironically – to the arm. I just… don't understand why you went down so fast."_

 _She eyed him steadily behind her bow, dismissing his not quite a statement at the end. She appreciated the direct response that he gave and the way he looked at her as a threat… as if this Jefferson knew that she wouldn't hesitate to release the tension that was in her bow at the moment. What surprised her was that he fought his fight or flight instincts, seeming to be resigned to the fact that stuck in a room with her he would at least get shot with an arrow. Apparently he didn't like the idea of being shot, good to know. She just hoped at he didn't lift her head and check behind her ear to see her mark, the hope that stirred within her still. Though she knew she was worrying for nothing, as her hair always hid it from view. He would have no reason to go looking, she thought in response before moving forward with the bow still poised until he backed up a little more to give her enough space to comfortably grab her mask._

 _Robyn placed her bow and arrow on the bed, eyeing him the whole time until she realized that if he wanted to hurt her… the man named Jefferson would have done so already. He watched as she readjusted the mask, the strap curved around her head, before she grabbed the bow and arrow with one hand. Moving to the door to grab the loaded quiver with the other, she shouldered it before reaching behind her to pull her hood up. Now that he sort of took the black hooded cloak in… he kind of thought that it looked like –_

 _Robyn, covered from head to toe once more, opened the door a little to peer cautiously outside into the night. After a moment, she returned her attention to him, the blank mask giving him goosebumps once more and Jefferson was sure that she was going to order him not to tell anyone what she looked like behind that mask. Jefferson wasn't stupid and he himself was a thief… but something inside told him that she may not know that. She may have been thinking about whether or not to really put an arrow in him just for a warning to keep his silence, he thought to himself in worry. Jefferson opened his mouth to speak, to… reassure her in some way, he guessed. However once more Robyn Hood cut him off. Her voice quiet and somewhat muffled from underneath her mask._

" _Thank you."_

 _He blinked in surprise quite a few times underneath the weight of her stare behind the color of white, and before he could say more she darted out of the doorway. Jefferson blinked once before running quickly to where she had been, looking fruitlessly out into the night for her even when he knew that her cloak would conceal her. He sighed, even as amusement bubbled within him. For at first glance, one would call her paranoid but at another they would see Robyn Hood to be cautious. Misunderstood, she was, and didn't seem to know how to express herself in a way that would make her come off as any other way besides… stoic._

" _You're welcome." Jefferson allowed the words to hover in the air around him before he shut the door, locking it tightly. He eyed the bowl of red tinted water and the blood tinted wash cloth that remained in sight at this angle, making him consider the possibility that Robyn thought that he had rid the arrow in the race away from the King's men. There had to be some reason why someone as famous as_ Robyn Hood _dropped so suddenly at an_ arrow _to the_ arm _. He picked up the offending weapon by the shaft, carefully eyeing the arrow itself with weariness and after a moment of staring at it… Jefferson resolved himself to find out the reason why she reacted the way that she did. Tomorrow would be the day he set out for answers. He laid down on his head, smelling her unique scent of something woodsy but also feminine._

 _Jefferson steeled himself before closing his eyes in an attempt to go to bed, though anticipation hummed within his veins… though even he couldn't have expected what would happen tomorrow. For even though Jefferson was going to… go make a_ deal _, he would have never counted on the King's sudden move out of desperation. For in the late afternoon, soldiers of the King would be sent out to hand deliver invitations to a special kind tournament._

 _The Tournament of the Golden Arrow._

* * *

 **Wow. More than 6,000 words here! Oh, I love it. Thank you so much for reading. If you could leave a comment or something that would be so awesome of you. I hope you liked this! :)**


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